Divan, sleeping chair and the like



April 5, 1932. NbRgBy 1,852,669

DIVAN, SLEEPING CHAIR, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov, 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 5, 1932.

B. NORDBY DIVAN, SLEEPING CHAIR, AND THE- LIKE Filed NOV. 3. 1930 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES BIRGER NORDIBY, F OSLO, NORWAY DIVAN', SLEEPING CHAIR AND THE LIKE Application filed November 3, 1930, Serial No. 493,087, and in Norway January 18, 1930.

Different types of double divans have been constructed, wherein two single-divans are hinged together along a longitudinal axis, so that two couches are obtained side by side,

it when one of the single-divans is swung out.

The hinge connection is made in many dif-' ferent ways.

However, there are difficulties connected with double-divans, because the same in as- 19 sembled or closed conditions are ordinarily too high and in opened condition the couch surfaces are located too low or near the floor. Attempts have therefore been made to construct the device in such a manner that both dificulties are removed to a moderate degree,

particularly as regards the height in assembled condition. This was obtained, however, always at the cost of the height of the couch seating surfaces, because obviously the two purposes work against one another. If between the two couch surfaces in assembled conditions an intermediate space is to left to receive beddings, the difficulties become still greater, because it causes an increased height of the divan is assembled condition and a reduced height of the couch surfaces in open condition.

According to the present invention the said difficulties are removed by arranging between the two hingedly connected single-divans which constitute together the double-divan, a mechanism adapted during the swinging out of the top-divan to impart a lifting motion to the bottom-divan. By this means the latter, together with the hinges of both single-divans are lifted to a certain height, from which follows that both divans in their opened or out-swung condition obtain a correspondingly greater height. The two couch surfaces may be located at approximately normal couch height, and in assembled condition the double-divan will show a normal seat-height, and still areasonable intermediate space is left between the two couch surfaces to receive beddings. The mechanism effecting the lifting motion may be of a very simple construction operating easily and safely. The said -mechanism may also be used in connection with sleeping chairs or the like.

Fig. 3 is a corresponding end view of the F diva-n in half opened and partly lifted condition.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the divan in fully opened and lifted condition.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the sleeping chair in assembled condition.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the sleeping ghair in opened condition constituting a e Fig. 7 is a front view in section on a plane 1 through the front rows of upholstery springs.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the chair.

Fig. 9 is part of a horizontal section following about the top surface of the front spring row of the top chair.

Referring to Figs. 1-4: showing the doubledivan, 1 denotes the bottom divan, 10 the top divan and 13 the hinges connecting them pivota-lly together on a longitudinal axis, 4: and 1a denote the couch surfaces of bottom and top divan respectively, and 5 and 12 denote their end pieces. From Fig. 2 is seen, that the free space between the surfaces 4 and 14 in closed position is suflicient to receive the necessary beddings.

At either end of the top divan 10 and at a certain height above the hinges 13a framelike mounting 17 is attached as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of each mounting is received in a U-shaped shoe 23 resting immovably upon the floor and'receiving also the free end of a scissor lever 18, whose opposite end may slide horizontally in a guide 19 attached to the underside of the bottom divan 1. The other scissor-lever 20 which is pivotally connected at 21 with lever 18 is pivotally connected at its upper end at 22 with the bottom divan 1 justabove the shoe 23, its free end having a wheel 24 rolling upon the floor.

The mountings 17 are so arranged that in the assembled condition (Fig. 2) of the divan they are disposed in close relation to its front side, the lower ends of the scissor-levers 20, 18 resting upon the shoe 23 and wheel 24 re spectively.

If now the top divan 10 is swung up, the lower ends of the mountings 17 will press downwardly upon the shoes 23. At the same time the mountings 17 through the hinges 13 will have a lifting effect upon the bottom divan 1. During this operation the pivots 22 will move vertically up from the shoes 23, and the rear ends of both scissor-levers are compelled to move somewhat forwards in horizontal direction, their pivots sliding in the guides 19 and the wheels 24 rolling on the floor. Thereby the whole bottom divan is raised vertically on account of the parallelguide constituted by the scissor-levers 18, 20. When the top divan 10 has been swung out completely, the mountings 17 again take a vertical position and form legs at the hinge-side of the top divan, the movable side of which is as usual supported by legs 25 turned down as indicated in Fig. 4.

If the pivot 26 connecting the lower end of each mounting 17 with the shoe 23 is located somewhat in front of the pivot 27 between the mounting and the top divan, the device will be self-locking in the lifted position (Fig. 4).

It is further seen that no remarkable lifting motion takes place in the bottom divan until the top divan has been so far swung up that its centre of gravity is approximately vertically above the hinge axis. The lifting is therefore made easy. The construction may usually'be so designed, that the centre of gravity of the complete double divan in assembled condition (Fig. 2) will not be located much lower than the centre of gravity of the whole system in its opened condition (Fig. 4).

The lifting device according to Figs. l4 may also be utilized in connection with sleeping sofas and sleeping chairs.

Figs. 5-9 show its utilization in a sleep ing chair of the Chesterfield type. In this case the chair bottom 1 is connected through two hinges 13 with the chair top 10, but the hinge axes are located in the transverse direction so that, when the chair is opened (Fig. 6) the two couch surfaces 4, 14 form together a single bed which has a movable head support 28 forming an extension of the surface 4. In this case it is difficult to avoid hard and sharp parts at the front upper edge of the seat (at 29, Fig. 5) and to obtain a smooth and imperceptible connection between the two couch surfaces 14 and 4 (at 30, Fig. 6). In Fig. 7 the longitudinal side portions of the bottom chair 1 projecting freely forwardly from the chair back are liable to become a loose connection with said back. It is therefore advisable to stiffen the two longitudinal parts 31, 32 (Fig. 7) of the chair bottom 1 as well as 33, 34 of the chair top 10 in relation to one another laterally, so that no mutual motion may take place at the front thereof.

For this purpose a rigid U-shaped bow 35 of iron or wood is arranged between the parts 31 and 32. At both corners this bow is reinforced by blocks 36 or struts, and it supports the lower end of the front spring row 39 or their supporting members. Thereby the hinges 13 cannot move laterally relatively to one another. The hinges also will stiffen the under portion of the parts 33 and 34 relatively to one another laterally. In order to stiffen said parts also at their top portion the two mountings 17 are interconnected by crossed bars 37 (Fig. 8), so that these bars form a frame which is covered by fabric which encloses part of the front side of the chair. The bars 37 permit a portion of the mountings 17 to extend freely upwards to the two pivot points 27. From Fig. 8 is thus seen that the frame has a free edge 38 at a certain height under the horizontal line which is imagined drawn between the two pivot points 27. The frame consequently will reinforce the upper portion of the side parts 33, 34 of the chair top 10 relatively to one'another laterally, and at the same time the said free upper space of the frame will permit an unobstructed yielding of the upper chair padding.

At 29 no fixed transverse piece can be arranged to support the top ends of the springs of the front spring row 40. On account hereof a U-shaped bow 41 for instance of stiff wire (Fig. 9) is arranged. Said bow is pivotally connected (at 42, Fig. 9) preferably I somewhat behind the edge 29 with the longitudinal parts 33, 34 and the bow is connected by means of strings with the upper convolution of each spring at its front side. will be held in its correct position.

Claims 1. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member Thereby the top portion of this spring connected together by hinges, a parallel-guide resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member so as to confine the latter during elevation to a vertical direction without lateral motion, and link mountings pivotally connecting the parts of the guide resting on the floor with the top member at points located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair whereby the bottom member is elevated as the top member is swung outwardly on its hinges.

2. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member one scissor-layer in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, 7

and a mounting pivotally connecting the part of the last-mentioned lever resting on the floor with the top member at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair.

3. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissonlever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, and a link having one end pivotally connected with a part of the last-mentioned lever resting on the floor and having the other end pivotally connected with the top member at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair.

4-. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, a shoe resting on the floor and pivotally supporting the lower end of the last-mentioned lever, and a link connecting pivotally said shoe with the top member at a point located above the axis of the hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair.

5. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, and a mounting pivotally connecting the part of the last-mentioned lever resting on the floor with the top member at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair, said mounting occupying an approximately vertical position in the seat form as well as in unfolded position of the divan or chair.

6. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, and a link having one end pivotally connected with a part of the last-mentioned lever resting on the floor and having the other end pivotally connected with the top member, at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat. form of the divan or chair, said link occupying an approximately vertical position in the seat form as well as in unfolded position of the divan or chair.

7. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, a shoe resting on the floor and pivotally supporting the lower end of the last-mentioned lever, and a link connecting pivotally said shoe with the top member at a point located above the axis of the hingesin the seat form of the divan or chair, said link occupying an approximately vertical position in the seat form as well as in unfolded position of the divan or chair.

8. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, and a mounting pivotally connecting the part of the last-mentioned lever resting on the floor with the top member at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair, the mountings for both pairs of scissor-levers being interconnected to constitute a rigid frame which covers the lower front portion of the chair and stitfens the two longitudinal sides of the top member relatively to one another laterally.

9- Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, and a mounting pivotally connecting the part of the last-mentioned lever resting on the floor with the top member at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair, the mountings for both pairs of scissor-levers being interconnected to constitute a rigid frame which covers the lower front portion of the chair and stilfens the two longitudinal sides of the top-divan relative to one another laterally, the said frame leaving a free space of a certain height below a line drawn through the two upper pivot points of the frame.

10. Double divan or sleeping chair consist ing of a bottom member and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally con nected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side, and a mounting pivotally connecting the part of the last-mentioned lever resting on the floor with the top member at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair, the front ends of the longitudinal sides of the bottom memher being stiffened relative to one another laterally by means of a rigid bow.

11. Double divan or sleeping chair consisting of a bottom member including rows of cushion springs and a top member connected together by hinges, two pairs of scissor-levers resting on the floor and supporting the bottom member, one scissor-lever in each pair being at one end pivotally connected with the bottom member on its hinge side and the corresponding end of the other lever' having a horizontally sliding connection with the bottom member on its other side and a mounting pivotally connecting the part of the lastmentioned lever resting on the floor with the top member at a point located above the axis of said hinges in the seat form of the divan or chair, the front ends of the longitudinal sides of the bottom member being stillened relative to one another laterally by means of a rigid bow which also supports a front spring row of the bottom member.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

BIRGER NORDBY. 

